Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Long Shadow

SERIES: Hamarsson & Dempsey #2

AUTHOR: Elle Keaton

PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press

RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2020

LENGTH: 260 Pages

BLURB:

Niall’s never known anything but betrayal. All Mat wants is Niall’s heart. What will it take for him to coax Niall in from the cold?

Mat’s connection with Niall is tenuous; one step forward, two steps back. Since that night on the beach Niall’s been avoiding Mat like a bad case of the flu–which, ironically, most of his deputies have come down with. What will it take for Niall to truly believe Mat wants him for who he is?

Mat’s overworked, Niall’s unnerved, and then things really go sideways.

Will a killer destroy everything before Niall realizes they are stronger together than apart?

Long Shadow is a dual POV about a broody introvert and a somewhat patient Sheriff. Mat’s going to have to prove to Niall he’s the man for him. The Hamarsson and Dempsey series follows the same couple as they find their way to their happily ever after.

REVIEW:

The continuing stoooorrry, of ex-detective Niall Hamarsson and sheriff Mat Dempsey on the island of Piedras.

Niall, feeling boxed in by the city, needs to escape Seattle back to Piedras. Years ago, he’d left the islands to become the best homicide cop he could be. Niall was good, too, with a high solve rate. He was determined to give others what his grandparents had never had – closure. His junkie mother’s disappearance/suspected murder had never been solved. A particular sheriff is also a reason to return to his childhood home – despite Niall having a list as long as his arm for why a relationship between the two should not happen.

Mat is up to his eyeballs with police work. A spate of arson attacks and other events doesn’t help his workload. All the same, he misses Niall. He knows the man is as skittish as a colt, and that patience is the key to breaking down the fortress Niall has built around his heart. Hamarsson may be a grouch, too, but he’s Mat’s grouch.

Long Shadow bids the welcome return of a world that wormed its way into my heart via book one, Conspiracy, in October last year.

Upon receiving the manuscript, the author says that it is not the final version, so I will not comment on the technicalities. The editor of this story is Alicia Ramos. I am familiar with her work and have every confidence that the final version will be technically sound.

As with book one, this instalment is told in the third person present tense from Niall and Mat’s viewpoints via alternating chapters. Kudos to the author for being able to keep the voices of the characters sufficiently different that I never got confused as to whose perspective I was reading.

The story is an in-depth read with some superb imagery. Some elements may not have been necessary, but I found myself not caring about the extra detail and simply enjoying the ride.

This is the kind of world to lose yourself to – immerse in the different characters and their lives. Stu – an old-timer, appears briefly, and is the kind of senior I’d like to have in my world. Doc Marshall has an exceptionally dry sense of humor coupled with a heart of gold. And daummn, Foster Jennings – a yummy EMT for the future (please). There are people from all walks of life – hero’s, criminals, the ambitious and plenty in between. It’s like getting hooked on a TV series in book form. Yes, sex is in here, but it is the life and relationship that is the focus which makes the sex, when it happens, special. None of it is gratuitous.

I was exposed to love, family, crime, drama, arson, a bombing, attempted murder, some gorgeous man loving, emotional conflict and more. While the main case is solved and the relationship between Mat and Niall moves forward, some elements of the story carry over to the next book. One is left with questions, but no frustration over a cliffhanger. Just the irritation of wanting to read more of this world and not being able to.

I read the excerpt from book 3 of the series, Black Moon, and I don’t want to waaaaaaiitt till early 2021. Sorry, Elle Keaton but you’re just going to have to write faster.

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

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